Philips Baristina review: the coffee machine that bridges pod and bean-to-cup (aff)

As coffee machines become more clever and more automated, there are now two types of people in this world. The "pod" people, and the would-be baristas.

The latter types tend to be the connoisseurs. They like fresh beans, the more modes the merrier, and a machine that can do as much as possible for them, while still delivering the perfect cup.

And the pod types spend peanuts on a machine, plenty on their pods, and they have a wondrous variety of pre-made flavours waiting for them at their local supermarket.

But now there's a middle ground. It's called the Baristina, and it's an innovation by Philips. It's predominantly a bean-to-cup machine, so it'll delight the baristas, but it's so much simpler to use. No messy waste tanks, a fuss-free bean hopper, and very few buttons to get your head around.

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You could argue it's not as clever as a smart bean-to-cup machine, and it's not as simple as a pod machine, but it's also perfectly fair to suggest this is the sweet spot between the two. Better quality, fresher coffee, quicker and easier brewing, but no expensive pods to throw away.

To use it, you just keep the water tank topped up, make sure you've got some beans in the hopper, and place the "Portafilter" into its little slot.

Slide the Portafilter along and it begins to work its magic. You don't have to measure doses, no tamping, it just gets on with the job. When it's finished griding, measuring, tamping, and filtering, it'll slide the filter back over the cup and pour you out a perfect coffee.

The process is remarkably quick. Certainly faster than most bean-to-cup machines I've used, and nearly as quick as a decent pod machine.

To keep things simple, there are very few settings. You can select a longer drink with one button, or turn up the intensity with another button, and that's basically it.

A separate milk frother is available, for £79.99, if you like a latte, but for espresso and strong Americano lovers, this machine is genuinely a very beguiling prospect.

The only real maintenance it needs is a clean out of its Portafilter, which is as arduous as dropping a compacted puck of grounds into a bin, and keeping the water tank filled.

As I've said, the Baristina forges a new path between pod machine and full-on automatic bean-to-cup machine so, as you might expect, the price follows suit.

The machine on its own, in either black or white, costs £299.99 - and the best place to buy it currently is the Philips website, which offers free shipping.

Coffee pod machines might be quick and convenient, but they do have their limitations, and a bean-to-cup machine will honestly give you a much better, fresher flavour.

If you're an espresso lover and you're ready to cut the Tassimo, Dolce Gusto, or Nespresso apron strings, this could be the perfect upgrade for you.